WrestleMania Week Special: Preview for WWE NXT TakeOver: Orlando

NXT women’s champ Asuka defends her title against Ember Moon at NXT TakeOver: Orlando at the Amway Center on Saturday, April 1 during WWE WrestleMania Week.
Photo By Sadiel Speedy Ruiz

The NXT TakeOver: Orlando live special on WWE Network is Saturday, April 1 at the Amway Center. The spectacular is a big part of WrestleMania 33 Week.

“I’m extremely excited about NXT TakeOver at the Amway Center,” Paul Triple H Levesque, the Executive Vice President of Talent, Live Events and Creative for WWE and the founding father of NXT, said during a conference call. “It is sold-out, and it’s going to be an incredible night.”

What: NXT Takeover: Orlando

When: 8 p.m. ET Saturday, April 1

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“It’s going to be an exciting night,” Levesque said. “I really look forward to it. I’m looking forward to once again -- like last year -- telling these guys the opportunity is there for them to really cement themselves, to put their names out there, to push that main roster to have to deliver something more at WrestleMania, and I’m looking forward to them showing the world that they can do it.”

THE CARD

NXT Championship Match

Bobby Roode (C) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Rematch from NXT Takeover San Antonio where Nakamura lost the title to Roode. Look for another Glorious entrance from Bobby Roode. Shinsuke Nakamura looks to become the first ever 3-time NXT Champion.

Levesque said: “The return between Bobby Roode and Shinsuke Nakamura, which I feel is sort of winding up for what NXT will be on the other side of WrestleMania. Will NXT be Bobby Roode’s Glorious WrestleMania or will it go back to being the Shinsuke Nakamura strong style that we’ve seen over the last year or so?”

NXT Women’s Championship Match

Asuka (C) vs. Ember Moon

Asuka looks to continue her dominance vs. her challenger Ember Moon and stay undefeated in singles matches, while Moon looks to win her first NXT Women’s title.

Levesque said: “Asuka, just wow. She continues to evolve and get better. I just can’t say enough about how dominant she is as a performer. We knew it, when we were bringing her in, that she was a game changer, and she is.

“Ember Moon, it took her a while to get her feet on the ground and hit her stride, but now she is, and it’s amazing. She’s just an incredibly talented performer. I think this has every possibility of stealing the entire week...maybe.”

The Authors of Pain look to continue their dominance in the NXT Tag Team Division, while DIY looks to recapture the tag titles they lost at NXT TakeOver: San Antonio. The Revival look to become the the first tag team in NXT history to win the tag belts three times.

Levesque said: “That match should be unbelievable. The battles that DIY and Revival have had; you add the Authors of Pain in there. You consider in a very short time that those two have been in the ring -- from the time they started with us, straight thru til now -- it’s not a very long period of time, and it’s amazing what they have accomplished. It should be a phenomenal match.”

Singles Match

Aleister Black (formerly Tommy End) vs Andrade “Cien” Almas

This is the debut match for Aleister Black in NXT.

Levesque said: “Andrade Almas, who has really just, in the last few weeks, last month or so, just kind of skyrocketed. His comfort level and just being the heel person that he is has just really hit his stride. Against the debuting Aleister Black, that should be a phenomenal match as well.”

Also,

Sanity (Eric Young and Killian Dain and Alexander Wolfe and Nikki Cross) vs. Tye Dillenger and Roderick Strong and No Way Jose and Ruby Riot (formerly Heidi Lovelace).

Sanity looks to continue their feud with Tye Dillenger who now has backup in No Way Jose, Roderick Strong and the debuting Ruby Riot.

Orlando is not only home to WrestleMania 33 Week but also the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center, where NXT talent develops, learns, trains.

Sunday, April 2: WrestleMania 33 at 7 p.m. ET Sunday, April 2 live on WWE Network from Camping World Stadium (the Citrus Bowl) in Orlando.

Monday, April 3: Raw at the Amway Center.

Tuesday, April 4: SmackDown Live at the Amway Center.

Wednesday, April 5: NXT TV tapings at Full Sail Live (Winter Park).

Plus, WWE will host activities designed to give back to the local community during WrestleMania Week including a “Be a STAR” anti-bullying rally, hospital visits, reading challenge, and Make-A-Wish party. There will be more than 25 events hosted by WWE during WrestleMania Week.

Orlando (and Orange County) is very excited to be hosting WrestleMania for a second time. In the past nine years, WrestleMania has generated more than $700 million in cumulative economic impact for the cities that have hosted the event, and that includes WrestleMania 24 in Orlando.

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